Trib HSSN girls basketball team of the week for Jan. 26, 2025

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, January 26, 2025 | 8:32 PM

Purchase Photo Options

Trib HSSN girls basketball team of the week – Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Chargers

Coach – Don Eckerle (22nd season)

Record – 15-2 overall, 10-0 in Section 1-3A

#Earned – The Our Lady of the Sacred Heart girls basketball teams had built a nice lead in Section 1-3A heading into last week in an effort to win their first section championship since they shared the Section 1-2A crown two years in a row with Neshannock in 2021 and 2022. However, following two more big section wins, the Chargers are running away and hiding from the rest of the pack, needing only two victories in their final four section games to clinch the program’s first outright section title since 2020. On Monday against a Beaver Falls team that was alone in second place, two games behind OLSH and a game ahead of Riverside and Quaker Valley, the Chargers came out flying, outscoring the visiting Tigers in the first quarter 23-5 on their way to a convincing71-38 victory. On Thursday, visiting a Quaker Valley team fighting for a playoff spot, OLSH fell behind early but outscored QV in the second half 40-9. The Chargers rolled past the Quakers, 62-25, for the team’s sixth consecutive victory.

Scoring stars – This season’s Our Lady of the Sacred Heart squad is a young team with only three seniors on the roster. However, one of them is the team’s leading scorer in point guard Claudia Ierullo, who has more than 250 points for the season and is averaging more than 16. She scored 31 points in the two victories last week including a game-high 21 points in the victory Thursday over Quaker Valley. Also in that game, junior Lola Garner scored 12 points. On Monday, sophomore swing Shae Trombetta led the Chargers’ balanced attack with a team-high 17 points. Ierullo and Garner both scored 10 points in the home triumph. Coach Eckerle relies on a rotation of nine to 10 players.

Last season– The Chargers began last season winning four of their first five games and ended the regular season with three straight victories. In between, the team was 8-6 and ended up in a three-way tie for second place in Section 2-3A with Keystone Oaks and Seton LaSalle, four games behind section winner and defending district champion Avonworth. The postseason began for Our Lady of the Sacred Heart with a win over Ellwood City in the first round of the 3A playoffs, but chances for district gold ended in the quarterfinals with a loss to eventual champion Shady Side Academy, 37-35. Following a loss to Seton LaSalle and a win over South Park in the district consolation round that earned them a berth in the PIAA playoffs, the Chargers’ season ended in the opening round of the PIAA tournament with a loss to District 10 champion Mercyhurst Prep, 40-37.

Remember when – Six years ago, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart shared the Section 1-2A championship with Laurel as both teams defeated each other in the regular season and each finished 13-1 atop the section. OLSH was the No. 4 seed in the 2A playoffs and coasted to wins in the first two rounds by 20 points over Burgettstown and 16 points over Serra Catholic, setting up a semifinals showdown against No. 2 seed and three-time district champion Bishop Canevin. The Chargers leaned on their defense to slow down the high-scoring Crusaders as they pulled off the upset 51-45. OLSH faced No. 2 Brentwood in the championship game and, thanks to 23 points from Ashley Norling, the Chargers defeated the Spartans, 50-48, to claim their first and only WPIAL girls hoops crown. OLSH went on to defeat Blairsville in the first round of the PIAA playoffs before losing to Allegheny-Clarion Valley in the second round to finish their historic season at 22-5.

2025 Trib HSSN Girls Basketball Teams of the Week

Week 3 – Penn-Trafford Warriors

Week 2 – Shady Side Academy Bulldogs

Week 1 – Shaler Titans

Tags: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart